adminKUALA LUMPUR: An Arab-produced film titled Mr VIP, which stars two famous sensational stars, Karim Abdel Aziz and popular beauty Yasmine Sabri, is reportedly currently filming in Malaysia.
Featuring Kuala Lumpur as one of the main filming locations, the film, produced by Synergy Plus, one of the big names in the Arab film industry, was also realized through the collaboration of Infinity Films led by Abdulrahman Suud.
The film, directed by Mootaaz El Tomy, has received support from the Malaysian Government through the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (MOTAC), as well as several related agencies including the Overseas Filming and Performance Application Agency (PUSPAL), Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) and the Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM).
Abdulrahman, who has lived in Malaysia since childhood and has been involved in the local arts industry, said he was proud to bring Malaysia’s name to the forefront of the West Asian film industry.
“It can be said that more than 40 percent of the filming of this film was done in Malaysia. After filming is completed here, the post-production process will also be carried out in Malaysia.”
“Throughout the filming period, both production companies strived to highlight the beauty of Malaysia, thus promoting the country’s tourism sector and showcasing the uniqueness of the people and local culture.”
“We greatly appreciate MOTAC’s support in helping to ensure the smooth running of this large-scale project.
“Malaysia and Egypt have also enjoyed close diplomatic relations for a long time, and that prompted us to choose Malaysia as the main location as a symbol of the good relations between the two countries,” he said, who also serves as the film’s executive producer.
He said Synergy Plus and Infinity Films also aspire to expand film industry cooperation between Malaysia and Arab countries in the future.
“After this, we hope that more film and television production companies from the Arab world will choose Malaysia as their main filming location. We want this collaborative relationship to continue and strengthen.”
“What I do is also driven by my love for Malaysia. This country is very close to my heart and has become a part of my life.”
“I arrived in Malaysia when I was eight years old after my parents accepted a job offer in Kuala Lumpur in 1992.
“I grew up, went to school and built my career here. Every time I leave Malaysia, I always can’t wait to return,” he said.
Commenting on the approach of filming being conducted behind closed doors, Abdulrahman said the move was made at the request of the production team and for security reasons given the high popularity of the film’s main actors.
“The production work procedures are quite strict, especially because Karim Abdel Aziz is considered one of the most influential and best-selling stars in Egypt.
“He is able to attract fans to the cinema and is one of the highest paid actors there. Therefore, any photos or recordings at the filming location are not allowed to be shared freely,” he said.
According to Abdulrahman, the filming of Mr VIP in Malaysia involved approximately 220 local crew members as well as 33 crew members and artists from Egypt.
He said the social comedy film features Karim and Yasmine as a husband and wife, marking their second collaboration in a production.
-Agency
